A thriller that will leave you with chills. Who would think a child can do all of that? A good page-turner if you want to pick this up!

Thank you #NetGalley and Gallery Books for giving me the opportunity to read this

3.5/5 Stars. This was an interesting horror/thriller that kept me reading until the end. I liked the atmosphere the author crafted and the many twists she pulled off along the way. I was able to guess the main one but still did not see some of the others coming at all. I recommend checking out novel inspired by Frankenstein.

Jennifer McMahon is the queen of scary thoughtful novels. In 1978, Dr. Hildreth, the beloved grandmother of Vi and Eric and the well-known physician famous for humane treatment of the mentally ill, introduces the children to their new sister Iris. Although Iris, is a quiet, strange child, Eric and Vi welcome the challenge of integrating them into their lives. They teach Iris everything, including their passion for monsters. Flash forward to 2019, Lizzy Shelly renowned podcaster and monster-hunter is on the trail of a missing girl. But who is Lizzy and how is she connected to Vi and Iris. This book, evoking Frankenstein, is very suspenseful and scary. As the truth is revealed, the book gets more and more frightening. Are we all monsters and are all monsters all bad?

The two different timelines were well done. Without giving anything away, the big twist/reveal seemed pretty obvious to me, but I was pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end. The writing by this author is always solid and very atmospheric. This would be a great read around Halloween.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really unique story! It starts with two children being raised by their psychiatrist grandmother. When she brings another girl home, they incorporate her into the family. I really enjoyed reading this and loved the ending!!

Loosely based on and inspired by the story of Frankenstein and the monster. This follows Vi, who’s grandmother is a psychiatrist at a hospital for the mentally ill. One day Vi’s grandmother brings home a young girl, Iris, who doesn’t seem to remember where she came from or who she is. From there, the reader is then brought along to discover and unravel the mystery behind this girl and how she ended up in the care of their grandmother.

I am a big fan of Jennifer McMahon’s and have been reading all of her books since ‘The Winter People’ was first published. There is something about her stories that normally keep me at the edge of my seat. Unfortunately, this story did fall a little flat for me. Some of the ‘twists’ were a bit confusing, and some of the reveals weren’t as exciting as those in her past stories. I didn’t find that this book had the typical McMahon creepiness to it like her others, specifically in ‘The Night Sister’ or ‘The Invited’. I wasn’t a big fan of the monster concept in general, but I could see how someone who is interested in it would enjoy this more than me. I tend to like her stories dealing with ghosts/spirits more interesting. All in all, I rated this 3 stars on Goodreads, but I still plan to pick up and read anything that this author comes out with.

Jennifer McMahon has quickly become one of my favorite authors. She never fails to captivate me with her stories and this one is no different. I will say this has a slightly different feel than some of her most recent books in that it doesn't have as much of a paranormal presence. I enjoy how she incorporates the paranormal into her stories, so I hope she will continue that trend. This story was told in dual time lines, and there were some shocking twists, which is always a good thing. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will be anxiously waiting for the next.

Holy-freaking-cow! I love Jennifer McMahon so much. She has a way of evoking and evolving classic gothic horror in the 21st century and she is a true master. This contemporary retelling of Frankenstein is just perfection. Without any spoilers, it was twist on twist on twist. I love McMahon’s ghost stories but this book provided a tangible ending to a horrific but so satisfying story. A perfect read for a dark and stormy night, and many rereads after. I know this book isn’t publishing until April (supply chain issues willing) but can I have the NEXT McMahon novel now???

I don't want to say too much about the plot for fear of giving anything away. This was a great, suspenseful, slow burn mystery with well-placed and surprising twists.

The author seamlessly intertwines alternating timelines. There were excerpts from the Monster Book they created as kids, as well as a book written about the Hillside Inn mixed in. The simultaneous narratives really helped build the suspense and mystery and I couldn't wait to find out the secrets of the Inn and the characters' pasts.

This was definitely an enjoyable and quick read. Be sure to watch for it when it publishes in the spring!

Thank you to #netgalley and @scoutpressbooks for the gifted e-arc!

I don’t even know how to describe this book in words. I read it in a day it was THAT incredible 😍

1978: Dr Helen Hildreth is a world renowned psychologist who is the director of a psychiatric facility in Vermont. Her success rate is incredible when it comes to rehabilitating patients and everyone adores her. She lives on the hill with her 2 grandchildren Violet and Eric. However, things turn when Gran brings home a child by the name of Iris to stay with them. Questions come up that the children want answered like who is this girl? And where did she come from? More importantly what is Gran not telling them?

2019: Lizzy Shelley is a nationally known Monster Hunter. Her books, podcasts, and appearances on Monsters Among Us have made her a household name. When someone tells her about a girl that goes missing in Vermont everything changes. The girl claims to have met the local legend Rattling Jane and suddenly she vanishes without a trace. Lizzy knows she has to get involved and find this girl before it’s too late. However, something about Rattling Jane is sounding all too familiar to her.

I thought I had this book figured out and then 80% of the way through everything changed and everything I thought I knew wasn’t the case. I HIGHLY recommend you get this book.

The story is told in two timelines. One in the late seventies about a sister and brother who live with their grandmother, a renowned doctor and the other timeline is in the present day about Monster Hunter, Lizzy Shelley. As children Vi and Eric grew up in Vermont with their grandmother, Dr. Helen Hildreth, a psychiatric doctor who runs a psychiatric hospital named The Inn. Vi and Eric’s parents died in a car accident that neither child remembers. Gran brings home a mute girl named Iris, who is about the same age as Vi. Gran encourages Vi and Eric to befriend Iris and treat her as a sibling. Vi and Eric invite Iris to join their secret “Monster Hunter Club”. As Iris becomes more comfortable she begins to open up to Vi, but she cannot remember anything about her life before. Vi suspects that Iris was a patient of Gran’s so she sets off to try and find out details about Iris’ life. In the present we discover that Lizzy has changed her name since the horrible events that took place at the Inn when they were children. She has spent her entire adult life chasing her sister and her latest clues take her back to where it all began.

This was a thrilling cat and mouse story. The reader pieces together the puzzle through clues from both the past and present day timelines. The writing and character development are both engaging and keep you turning the page. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but I would have preferred a different ending. I personally didn't like the afterward at the end and would have preferred a more satisfying conclusion for the sister. Thank you to NetGalley, GalleryBooks, and author Jennifer McMahon for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All reviews are mine and do not reflect the brands I represent.

OMG! This is epic! I loved it!
Soo Jennifer McMahon is becoming a favorite author! Her methods of spooky, scary, and creepy have me hooked from beginning to the end! Everything that I have read by her I have loved!
This is one of those Netgalleys when I requested I felt like I had won the lottery when I was approved!
I loved how we were given the perspectives of two different times from Vi or Violet's perspective in 1978 and then Lizzy Shelly in 2019. Vi lives with her grandmother and her brother in the country next to the inn. The inn is basically an asylum, and Vi's grandmother, Gran, is one of the psychologists that work at the Inn. As far as Vi and Eric remember it's always been them and Gran after their parent's wreck that killed both of them. While Vi remembers being in the hospital for a while she sometimes remembers little snippets about the car crash. Then one day Gran brings home Iris, and while Iris is a bit strange she is around the same age as Vi. They soon become fast sisters and start working on a monster-hunting book together with Eric.
In 2019 Lizzy Shelly is a well-known monster hunter, she has her own podcast about hunting monsters as well as she was on a tv show about hunting the monsters. After reviewing some of her forums and checking out some news she starts to head to Vermont, her home state in search of a monster that has evaded her time and time again except this time she is determined to stop this monster and save the girl that has gone missing after the monster sighting will she be too late?
Now with Vi, things start to take a more sinister turn when she starts digging around Gran's offices and the Inn trying to help Iris find out who she was and where she came from. Although once she starts digging she starts to uncover things that are much more sinister in nature and she knows she has to find a way to stop Gran!
Omg, this one was sooo good! Sitting on the edge of my seat the last half, I had to know what happened! I also loved that between the chapters there are little journal articles along with chapters from the monster book the kids were writing. If you love chilling sinister mysteries with a twist of shock then this should be your next read! Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read and review this one!

This new novel by the amazing Jennifer McMahon is what we like to call a "slow burn mystery." It alternates between 1978 and 2019 and centers on Violet Hildreth as both a child and an adult. In 1978, she lives with her grandmother who is loving and smart, a well known psychiatrist working with the mentally ill at her esteemed treatment center in Vermont. In 2019, she is a re-invented, monster-hunting podcaster and her longest standing monster hunt has been alluding her for years and playing with her emotions.

In 2019, she travels back to Vermont in pursuit of the monster she so badly wants to find and might possibly be...her sister. Inspired by the original "Frankenstein," this novel is atmospheric and well-written. But scary, it is not. It's a slow-burn which is my least favorite kind of burn. I usually love Jennifer McMahon's creepy ghost stories, but this one didn't quite have the pizzazz I look for in her novels. I kept putting it down and then...not picking it back up. However, I was puzzled and did want to know what would happen.
This may be an unpopular opinion but I stand by my rating of 3 stars. Thank you to Gallery and Netgalley for the ARC and I hope you will enjoy this story available in April 2022.

You have no idea what you are getting yourself into when you open this book. But if you are a fan of Jennifer McMahon's books, you know this and you are more than ready for the ride.

This slow-burn "what is going to happen" tale ("what is happening now" also) put me a bit "ill at ease", so to speak. McMahon sets the story with the present where the reader meets Liz Shelley. Shelley is a podcast famous monster hunter, but reveals that she is really trying to find her sister. Then the story switches to an alternate story/timeline in the 1970s, we meet Gran and her two grandchildren (Violet & Eric). Gran runs a psychiatric hospital and is known for bringing home patients from time to time. One day Gran brings home Iris and the children are told to treat young Iris like their sister. Iris doesn't speak at first and Gran wants regular updates on her progress from older Violet.

I really enjoy how the story teases the reader with alternating chapters of the timelines. Each chapter dangles more and more carrots of information until you suddenly can't help but piece the story together, McMahon is a smart writer and doesn't spoon-feed her readers, I adore this about her books.

While this has been told to be a modern retelling of Frankenstein, I see it as so much more. McMahon is too original to simply take an age-old classic and modernize it a bit. She takes her own story and sprinkles just enough classic old-timey scary elements that you don't want the story to end. This is the mark of a great writer and a must-read book.

This is definitely my favorite of McMahon’s books. Scary and dark, twisty and foreboding, shrouded in real history (I know a little about the history of eugenics and the little I know is horrific) and with a completely surprising twist ending that I loved passionately (we need more positivity like this in our books!) I will thoroughly recommend this to fans of darker mysteries and thrillers.

4 Stars!

It's been a while since I've read Jennifer McMahon....and I'm wondering what's took me so long to come back!!!

I started reading this one before bed last night and was mad that I was falling asleep and couldn't finish it! Gran is a renowned surgeon, turned psychiatrist, the Director of The Hillside Inn. Vi and her brother, Eric are homeschooled by their brilliant Gran. One day she brings home one of the patients, from the Inn, named Iris. This story is brilliantly told through dual timelines, 1978 of Vi and Eric's childhood and 2019, present day with Vi hunting monsters, still. Sprinkled in are excerpts from a book written about the Hillside Inn.

No spoilers here, but I was truly creeped out and was making sure my leg wasn't hanging outside of the covers last night!!!

A special thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Jennifer McMahon for providing me with an ARC.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)

My thoughts: I LOVE everything this author writes. She could write instructions on shampoo bottles and I’d have to buy all kinds of shampoo just to read more of her words.

This is my third book by Ms McMahon. And every one feels like the best kind of suspense movie… you think you know what’s going on pretty early, and it turns out you *kind of* do, but with a twist. And then there’s another HUGE twist right at the end, that’ll just blow your mind.

Nothing is as it seems, in this book especially. NOTHING. And it’s not what it seems until the very end.

Once this book comes out in April, definitely go pick up a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Are monsters real? Regardless of what you think, this book will have you second-guessing yourself!

Set in present day (2019) and also 1978, this is a story of Dr. Helen Hildreth, a brilliant psychiatrist who runs the Hillside Inn. Dr. Hildreth also cares for her two grandchildren, Eric and Vi. One day, Dr. Hildreth brings a strange young girl named Iris into her house and instructs her grandchildren to treat them like their sister, which they do eagerly!

Vi and Eric are obsessed with monsters, as most children are, but they take it to the next level with their monster club and late night hunts for mysterious and unexplained things. But Vi starts to think maybe they are living with a real life monster, Iris. As Iris begins to talk and share what she remembers, Vi starts to ask more questions and searching for answers to some of the unexplained things happening around Hillside Inn

Fast-forward to present day, Lizzy Shelley, who is a real life monster hunter and finds herself back in Vermont, searching for Rattling Jane, the local monster who was known for taking young women. But what Lizzy finds while she is there, will be much more than she had ever thought was possible.

This book was AWESOME! I absolutely loved the dark atmosphere of Hillside Inn, along with the switch from the 70's to present day. Very atmospheric! So many surprising twists and turns throughout the book, especially towards the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really like this author's books. Some are better - and more plausible - than others, but she always does a good job of creating a great creepy or spooky atmosphere. The Children on the Hill is one of her more tightly written stories, and does a great job as usual of providing a great setting.

As always, the story moves back and forth between the past and the present. Lizzie, a popular podcast host of stories about monsters, is following up on the case of a missing girl who is rumored to have been taken by a local monster legend. The case stirs up memories of her own childhood, and she flashes back to her odd upbringing. Insert private mental institution and the woman who runs it, while simultaneously raising her grandchildren while living next door.

Secrets and mysteries around past events combine and lead to some fun twists. Very fun and creepy read with some great philosophizing about what makes a monster,.

This book gave me some serious chills! Something strange was going on at the Inn and I definitely got hooked wanting to find out.

Without giving anything away, finding out the pasts of each of the children (Violet, Iris and Eric) definitely threw me for a loop. In the future, Lizzy the monster hunter definitely wasn't who I assumed her to be for most of the book either. My assumptions were very off which was probably what was intended.

I can see how this book was compared to Frankenstein, but it really is it's own piece of great writing as proven by all of the twists near the end.

I don't typically read a lot of books in this type of genre, but this one was really well done. It was eerie and had me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.